This week, Days of our Lives served up can’t-miss soap opera! Head writer, Ron Carlivati crafted a riveting story arc that had viewers on the edge of their seats with some frightening drama portrayed masterfully by three all-star performers involved: Chandler Massey (Will), Rob Scott Wilson (Ben) and Alison Sweeney (Sami).

In story, a misguided Sami wanting to trigger the buried memories of her son, Will, takes a lesson from her mother’s psychiatry books about re-creating a traumatic event to do that. In some patients, that works in opening the floodgates to their memories. So, what does Sami do? She gets her goons to kidnap Killer Ben. Sami quickly lets him know who’s in charge, and she slaps him around, and tells him he’s going to bring her son back to her. Next, Sami’s got a gun, and uses it to make Ben stay in-line. Later, Sami has detailed what she wants Ben to do for her. He doesn’t think he can do it, but then he agrees. Meanwhile, Sami has Will kidnapped, and thrown into Ben’s apartment in the dark. Let the plot unfold …

Then comes the reveal, while Sami stays hidden with a gun on Ben, the killer appears with a red necktie in front of Will. A frightened Will asks, “Who are you?” Ben says, “Benjamin” and moves toward Will. Next, Ben starts to strangle Will with a red necktie, and when Will, who has fallen to the floor, is being choked he seems to flashback to the first time he was “killed”. Sami is watching from the closet in tears.

Will begs for Ben to stop, and an anguished Ben realizes he can’t “murder” Will a second time. The whole plot falls apart. Ben tells Will it was his mother who put him up to strangling him again. Sami’s henchmen emerge and nab Ben as Sami comes forward and explains she was trying to jog her son’s memory! Will screams at her, “What is wrong with you!? You’re a terrible human being. I never want to see you again as long as I breathe!” Will storms out devastated. Sami yells at Ben for wimping out on her before Will remembered everything. As the henchmen hold Ben, he tells Sami, “You’re sick!” Ben tells the henchmen, “Bring this bitch to the padded room!”

Later at Marlena’s (Deidre Hall), Sami tries to apologize to Will by stating she needed him to remember his life, but Will says, “If remembering his life is remembering she’s his mother, he prefers to forget.” He runs to his room! Everyone is pissed at Sami, and she leaves in tears. Chandler Massey, Rob Scott Wilson, and Alison Sweeney all played their beats to perfection in this very dark and twisted plotpoint.

So what did you think of Sami’s plan to jog Will’s memory on DAYS? Did you enjoy the performances? Comment below!

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Ray

I love having the Sami/Will (Alison Sweeney/Chandler Massey) dynamic on the show. Alison needs to submit these scenes for Emmy consideration. This past month of “DOOL” has been edge-of-your seat great drama. It has been a long time since the show has had two great stories moving at the same time, with the other being the fallout of Theo’s shooting. It seems none of the actors are standing on the sidelines. I also love the Hope/Rafe drama. I have never felt chemistry with the characters and actually liked Hope better with Aiden. I look forward to the return of Ciara, Vivian and also the arrival of Tyler Christopher. DAYS IS BACK!

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December 2, 2017 4:51 pm

Jimh

I would be mad at Sami too…and shouldnt she be arrested????

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December 2, 2017 6:02 pm

Mo

Will doesn’t want to press charges.

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December 5, 2017 9:42 am

Jimh

maybe he doesnt but Sami broke the law when she snuck/kidnapped Ben from the mental hospital or wherever he was so there should be criminal charges for that!!!

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December 6, 2017 6:15 pm

Celia

That was something so outrageous, Jimmy. What is wrong with this picture? Jar his memory by shock? Why didn’t Sami or anyone else try something more, gee, I don’t know…..watchable? Maybe Will and Ariana should ‘meet’…or did they, already? If they did, then I missed it. But, seeing his child should stir some dormant memory. .

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December 7, 2017 9:42 am

Stephen

Yes they met, and, heartbreakingly, she didn’t trigger his memories. That’s what made Sami so desperate to try anything. (I think maybe that episode was pre-empted? I watched it online. Marlena had also tried hypnosis unsuccessfully).

I liked that they did it. It gave us something new both by taking Sami’s crazy to a new level, and taking Will’s outrage at her to a whole new level! We’ve had excellent Will and Sami arguments in the past, so to give us something new they had to kick it up a gear, and Massey really brought it. He knocked it right out of the park! Loved it! And the Sweeney rocked it when she thought she’d lost Will again and this time properly forever! And it made their reconciliation that much more wonderful!

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February 23, 2018 1:56 pm

Celia

@Stephen. Thank you for your well-written, sooo informative post, Stephen. I soaked up every word…. Unfortunately, I did not see that special moment between father and daughter….I am certain it was as hearbreaking as you described. Yes, Chandler’s maturity, in both his acting and as Will, has risen a few notches—-looove him….always have… Sami? What can I say—Ali plays her to heaven and back….she is perfection. That is one character which cannot be played by any other…it is what it is. We need her rare visits more often.

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February 23, 2018 2:52 pm

Tim S.

Lets hope Day’s keeps Ron.. he is good for Days.. remember you may not like all of the storylines, but he is really good for Days and let us all embrace him!!

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December 2, 2017 7:36 pm

Phil

Excellent episodes! Great performances and superb writing! Ron has done wonders with DAYS! Where were you a decade ago when GL needed saving? DAYS is the best soap on the air today! Followed closely by GH!

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December 3, 2017 6:28 am

Helen

I have tears on my cheeks simply reading the recap ~ the real thing was awe inspiring. Kudos to the terrific trio!

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December 3, 2017 6:40 am

Mateo

The folks at ABC are quaking in their boots. They let a genius go. In their heads they were thinking, we have better ideas, we can save our show. So Ron disappeared for a bit and then went over to DAYS. DAYS was literally on the chopping block. Their stories were so horrible that no good acting team could save the stories. Then Ron’s writing appeared…and poof, they went from chopping block to top of the heap. They brought back excellent actors in roles that nearly EVERYONE wanted to see. DAYS always thrives on knock you on your butts drama. The Marlena/Hattie, Adrienne/Bonnie story started the roller coaster ride and then comes Will/Sami/Ben and add in the Paul/Sonny drama. Then add in the very relevant – although a little late – story of Theo’s shooting. Casey Moss deserves an Emmy for the intensity of his role. That boy is very underrated in how good he actually is. He was always written as a boy toy but now he’s being written a young man with many layers. This is a perfect vehicle for him to show off. Eve coming back is so great. They need a fireball like her again with a writer who knows how to use her. All I can say is that I can’t wait for what comes next and previous to Ron my statement was I can miss DAYS and not even notice. Now it’s the first one I watch in my DVR viewing schedule. So glad they got it together and I am so THANKFUL to Ron for what he has done to bring the craziness of DAYS back to life.

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December 3, 2017 9:11 am

Steve

Um, the folks at ABC are doing okay. While Ron had a good run at OLTL and some great moments at GH, it was time for him to move on. Ask GH fans about Fluke and Denise Demuccio and you’ll discover it’s all not candy canes and lollipops.

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December 3, 2017 10:00 am

Michael (not Fairman)

And yet, with all the misfires, it was still much more watchable–at least to me–while Ron was writing it than it has been for the vast majority of the time since he left.

Given the number of equally bad story ideas that have played out on GH since Ron’s departure, it’s at least possible that the problem isn’t with the headwriters, but with ABC.

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December 3, 2017 10:56 am

Andrew Hass

I agree.Plus maybe Ron Carlivati was okay been fired from GH because maybe he knew he needed a break because adding the time he was head writer at OLTL and head writer at GH it was like 8 years or so in total.So maybe he knew it was time to move on.So between the time he was let go from GH and time he was hired Days maybe Carlivati recharged himself and lived his life without the pressure of been head writer.Plus i’m sure both Carlivati and GH are happy with how things went down because Carlivati is probably enjoying writing for Days and GH is doing good right now.

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December 5, 2017 4:00 am

Allen Saint James

Ron’s tenure on gh was action packed and must see a large Portion of the 1st two years. The 50th anniversary short term return of Legacy characters, The Return of Faison which played out via The fake Duke Mask story, The Saga of Robin Scorpio death, return from dead Saga which brought Anna Robert

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December 6, 2017 2:32 am

Allen Saint James

Back to battle Faison and tying into Lukes race to secure the cure storyline, The Critchon Clark/!Cassadne adventure! The way he handled Frisco, Aj returns flopped as well the convoluted f Messy flop that was Lukes last adventure and reimagining as a man with dissocative idendity crisis. I will The say Gh lately feels less disjointedwhilrthe

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December 6, 2017 2:44 am

James R. Poissant

I love what chandler Massey has done since he’s been back. He definitely grew stronger as an actor. I love Allison and Rob too. The show is on a very even keel right now and I know this is going to be a good journey for all of us.

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December 3, 2017 1:15 pm

ChandlerFan

Gotta agree. At first I did miss the always-smiling, charming, almost coquettish version of Will that Chandler Massey played in the past. However, I’m now enjoying the more worldly-wise version of Will, who has his own agenda, who doesn’t appreciate having his comfortable world ripped away from him, and who doesn’t accept at face value everything his relatives say to him. It’s intriguing that this version of Will might demand a true blank slate for himself, not WANTING to be pigeon-holed back into his former self, resenting that former self, while resenting even more those trying try to force that former self onto him. I must commend the new head writer for making sense out of the previous writing team’s mash, and doing so in thought-provoking and fresh ways.

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December 11, 2017 9:19 pm

Satan

General Hospital is just now beginning to recover from the horrible damage Ron Carlivati did to it. The TRUE return of Jason Morgan – one of the characters he destroyed – was a big help. Sadly the damage he did to Luke Spencer – THE legendary GH character of all time – will probably never be undone, as the lame assed storyline drove Tony Geary into retirement.

I’m going against my better Devil judgment and giving Ron the benefit of the doubt here. Starting off with the ridiculous double doppleganger story was NOT a good sign. Bringing Will Horton back was a good move…. I’ll even accept the memory loss on a temporary basis (standard soap cliche though it is). But throwing him right back into the ridiculous triangle that ruined the previous re-cast version of Will…. sorry, that’s complete dragonshit.

Paul needs to go back to Hawaii Five 0…. or at least find his own boyfriend. Enough with him hopping between Will & Sonny’s beds already.

I don’t want a Sonny-Will-Paul triangle either. I can understand Paul hanging onto Sonny though. He’s the only other gay guy in Salem!

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December 4, 2017 6:06 am

Jimh

Cassis D-Eve isnt a pet…she was on Days before Ron took over the show and only just return…would had liked CR as Eve too but had other commitments and thats why CD was recast and that was before Ron’s arrival!!!!

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December 4, 2017 9:14 am

Andrew Hass

Ron Carlivati was fired from GH in July 2015.So that was over 2 years.I’m not saying that Carlivati didn’t make mistakes at GH but i don’t think he did kind of damage that it would have taken GH 2 years to repair.As for Kassie DePaiva, she was hired to play Eve long before Carlivati was hired.So is it fair to have Kassie be fired just because she and Carlivati worked together in the past?

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December 5, 2017 3:51 am

Dean_Morgan

I agree that Days is in great shape with Ron. Ron is a soap fan. He gets what viewers like to see and has worked hard with Sheri and Ryan to embrace histories etc. GH is a good soap. I liked it under Ron’s pen as well. Charlotte Ross did not want to return full-time. She was only interested in a short story arc. I loved her as Eve too…but Kassie is great in the role too.

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December 3, 2017 4:50 pm

Mo

Everyone did a great job. Chandler’s face was red and it looked like he was really being choked.

Just sad that Will doesn’t want to have anything to do with Sami. They were always so close.

I do hope they don’t hook Will up with Paul.

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December 4, 2017 6:05 am

dmr

This is a perfect example as to why I can’t stand the “Sami” character…never could, never will.

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December 4, 2017 10:17 am

blake

I love all of this, since Ron C. has joined Days it has been firing on all cylinders! Love it so much. We’ll still have Alison Sweeney and Eileen for a while.

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December 4, 2017 8:21 pm

blake

Please let Will hook up with Ben, then Paul, then Derrick before he goes back to Sonny lol.

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December 6, 2017 8:17 pm

Celia

Hook up with Ben, blake? LOL. Who could blame anyone wanting to hook up with Ben….but, he did ‘kill’ Will. LOL.

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February 23, 2018 5:59 pm

Celia

PS. So sorry, blake…..Stephen replied to an old post of mine and after I responded, I read on and completely forgot it is an older site, so I replied to your comment….sorry, again. Forgive me? LOL.

Marci Miller Final DAYS Episode Airs Today As She Shares Heartfelt Goodbye: “Thanks For The Sweet Ride, Abby”

November 19, 2018

In two years time, Marci Miller became a household name in the daytime arena as one of the brightest talents to grace the soap opera genre in a very long time.

Now today on Monday November 19th, viewers of Days of our Lives are watching her final episode as she wraps up her run as Abigail Deveraux on the NBC soap opera.

And what a run it was! Earning her a Daytime Emmy nomination for Lead Actress this year, and a possible nomination next year, Miller was heralded for her gut-wrenching performances in the DID storyline (Dissociative Identity Disorder) where she played Abby’s alters, Dr. Laura and Gabby. Not to mention her complex love story with Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn).

Photo Credit: JPI Studios

On key episodes today, Miller’s Abby goes toe to toe with a vindictive Gabi (Camila Banus) who gloats how Abby ended up back in a sanitarium … thanks to her!

Miller made the decision to leave DAYS and pursue a career in feature film and primetime TV roles

In an Instagram post, Miller shared:”This is a picture of me 2 yrs ago, painting my nails (and a dear friend’s while I’m at it) for a screen test the next morning to play a woman named Abigail Deveraux Dimera on Days of Our Lives. Who would’ve thought?! This morning I sit in the same exact spot knowing that today, my last episode will air as this beloved character. I reflect, and am grateful. I am better for having been a part of it all. Knowing I’ve laid her in a pair of loving and capable hands does me good. Thanks for the sweet ride, Abby. My heart is full today. Xx #Days#Milly#Chabby”

So, send your well-wishes to Marci here as we give her a standing ovation for an incredible job well-done for her portrayal of Abby et al. Will you miss Marci? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

If you missed Thursday’s night’s Soap Nation Live! with Michael Fairman, you can hear the replay of the broadcast right here in the audio player above.

The November episode of the monthly podcast featured special guests: Soap icon, Linda Dano (Ex-Felicia, AW, Gretel, (OLTL, GH, Port Charles, AMC), and Cynthia, ATWT), General Hospital’s Jon Lindstrom (Kevin/Ryan), The Young and the Restless’ Beth Maitland (Traci), Days of our Lives Freddie Smith (Sonny), and listeners were in for a surprise when GH’s Maura West (Ava Jerome) called-in as well during the show.

During this fun night of chat, Linda Dano kicked-off the show as she and Michael reminisced about the night she won the Daytime Emmy in 1993 for her role as Felicia Gallant on Another World. Then, the duo talked about: her soap career as Gretel “Rae” Cummings on the ABC Daytime line-up, her incomparable fashion sense, and how fans can see her first acting project in 12 years when The Chronicle Mysteries debuts with Alison Sweeney (Sami, DAYS) in March of 2019 on the Hallmark Channel.

Next, General Hospital’s Jon Lindstrom discussed taking on and revisiting playing the dual roles of Kevin Collins, and his serial killer twin brother, Ryan Chamberlain. In addition, Jon talked about his leading ladies, Genie Francis and the #KevLaur hash tag, and Ryan’s interest in Ava Jerome. Then, after answering some questions from listeners, Maura West surprised her scene partner and called-in to chat with him.

Beth Maitland came on to Soap Nation Live! next, and she discussed finally having the opportunity after 36 years to explore Traci’s relationship with her siblings, Jack and Ashley, that came about in Eileen Davidson’s exit storyline. The Daytime Emmy-winning actress also revealed her favorite Y&R storyline over the years. Maitland has received critical-acclaim for her recent work on the CBS Daytime drama series.

The final guest of the night was Freddie Smith. The popular DAYS star talked on the latest developments of Sonny and Will, where now the two can be together since Paul and Will broke up, but will their happiness last long? Freddie gives the listeners a preview of what’s to come. Then, a listener calls in revealing how through watching Days of our Lives and the Sonny and Will story and romance, how it helped him come out and to have a family.

Last, during our Game Show segment, a lucky caller eventually wins the Sonny Kiriakis-centric trivia game and will receive a Days of our Lives swag/goodie bag and an autographed personalized photo of Freddie Smith.

Soaps Lift Boycott Threat Of Daytime Emmys

November 17, 2018

In a key move to allow those performers in front of the camera and behind the scenes crew and creatives to be acknowledged for their accomplishments this calendar year, the four daytime dramas collectively have decided to lift their threatened boycott and participate in the upcoming 46th annual Daytime Emmy competition.

This comes after the four network soaps (Days of our Lives, General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless) banded together after being unsatisfied with snafu’s coming out of the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards earlier this year in April, and a list of grievances and concerns they asked to be addressed by the organization that administers the Emmy contest.

Then, following an internal investigation by NATAS by the law firm of Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth of Washington, DC, the results which were released on November 8th, and being in receipt of their findings, the soaps decided to move forward while still having concerns they want addressed.

In a statement from the group, a spokesperson related to Deadline, who broke the story late Friday: “As a group, we are not in agreement with all of the conclusions that NATAS reached. However, in the spirit of working with NATAS and the TV Academy on improving the integrity of the Daytime Emmys, we have lifted our boycott. We look forward to meeting with NATAS to discuss their findings and our concerns in greater detail.”

On Saturday, someone close to the situation said to Michael Fairman TV: “Our participation doesn’t mean we accept their proposal moving forward, we still have major issues that we will be discussing with the Chair and President (of NATAS), but as a collective whole, we don’t want to penalize our actors for NATAS’ mis-management.”

The 46th Annual Daytime Emmy submissions began earlier this week on November 12th, with the Daytime Emmys slated to be handed out in early May of 2019.

So, are you glad that the network soaps have lifted their threatened boycott so that your favorite performers, whose performances you have loved over the last 11 months can be acknowledged for their talents and hard work? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.